Welding Schools Near Me | How to Become a Welder – Reno NV

How to Choose a Welder Certification Program near Reno Nevada

Reno NV welding school studentChoosing the ideal welding school near Reno NV is an important first step to launching your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are so many schools to pick from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more notably, once you have fine tuned your choices, how do you select the best one? A number of prospective students start by checking out the schools that are nearest to their homes. When they have located those that are within commuting distance, they gravitate toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are necessary issues when reviewing welding technical schools, but they are not the only ones. Other considerations include such things as accreditation, reputation and job placement rates. So before starting your search for a vocational school to become a welder, it’s wise to create a list of qualifications that your chosen school must have. But before we examine our due diligence checklist, let’s cover a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welder Degree and Certificate Programs

Reno NV welder working on pipingThere are several alternatives available to get training as a welder in a trade or technical school. You can obtain a diploma, a certificate or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are offered in Welding Technology or Welding Engineering, but are more advanced degrees than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also offered along with an apprenticeship program. Below are short explanations of the most common welding programs available in the Reno NV.

  • Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by technical and trade schools and take about one year to complete. They are more hands-on training in scope, fashioned largely to develop welding skills. They can provide a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or specialized skills for experienced welders.
  • Associate Degree Programs will take two years to finish and are usually offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology offers a more well-rounded education than the diploma or certificate while still providing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.

Many states and municipalities do have licensing requirements for welders, so don’t forget to find out for your location of future employment. As needed, the welding school you select should prep you for any licensing exams that you will have to pass in addition to providing the appropriate training to become a qualified welder.

Welding Certification Choices

Reno NV welder working on poleThere are a number of organizations that offer welding certifications, which assess the skill level and knowledge of those applying. Many Reno NV employers not only demand a certificate or degree from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a highly regarded agency like the American Welding Society (AWS). A wide range of certifications are offered based upon the kind of work that the welder does. Just some of the things that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to

  • Work in compliance with specific codes
  • Work with certain metal thicknesses
  • Work with certain kinds of welds
  • Work in compliance with contract specifications

As formerly mentioned, some cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those requiring licensing, some also require certification for various kinds of work. Certification is also a way to demonstrate to employers that you are a highly skilled and experienced welder. So similarly as with licensing, check the requirements for your local area and verify that the welder tech school you select readies you for certification if needed.

How to Select a Welding Vocational Program

Reno NV welder working on carWhen you have chosen the credential you would like to obtain, a degree, certificate or diploma, you can start to assess schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are a large number of welder trade and vocational schools in the Reno NV area. That’s why it’s necessary to establish up front what qualifications your school of choice must have. We have already covered 2 important ones that most people look at first, which are location and tuition cost. As mentioned, although they are essential qualifications, they are not the only ones that must be considered. After all, the program you decide on is going to provide the instruction that will be the foundation of your new career as a welder. So below are more factors you may want to evaluate before choosing a welder technical school.

Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welder tech school you select is accredited by either a national or a regional agency. There are two basic kinds of accreditation. The school may attain Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on a single program the school has, such as Welding Technology. So make certain that the program you choose is accredited, not just the school alone. Also, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, such as the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Besides helping make sure that you get an excellent education, the accreditation may also help in getting financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable in Reno NV for schools that are not accredited. Also, for those states or local governments that mandate licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited also.

Apprenticeship and Job Placement Programs. Many welding degree or certificate programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship program. Some other schools will assist in placing you in a job or an apprenticeship after graduation. Find out if the schools you are considering help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. The schools must have relationships with local unions and other metal working businesses to which they can place their students. More established schools may have a more substantial network of graduates that they can utilize for referrals. These programs can help students find employment and develop associations within the Reno NV welding community.

Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that enroll in an academic program and complete it. It’s essential that the welder program you select has a high completion rate. A lower rate might signify that the students who enrolled in the program were unhappy with the instruction, the instructors, or the facilities, and quit. The job placement rate is also a good indicator of the quality of training. A higher job placement rate will not only verify that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of Reno NV contacts to assist students obtain apprenticeships or employment upon graduation.

Up-to-date Facilities and Equipment. After you have limited your selection of welding programs to 2 or 3 options, you should think out visiting the campuses to evaluate their facilities. Confirm that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be trained on are modern. Specifically, the training equipment should be similar to what you will be working with on the job. If you are unsure what to look for, and are already in an apprenticeship program, ask the master welder you are working under for guidance. If not, ask a local Reno NV welding professional if they can give you some pointers.

School Location. Although we already briefly covered the importance of location, there are a couple of additional points that we need to address. You should keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the welding school you pick must be within commuting distance of your Reno NV home. If you do decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving expenses there could be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly the case for welding certificate programs offered by community colleges. Additionally, if the school provides a job placement or apprenticeship program, more than likely their placements are within the school’s local community. So the location of the school should be in a region or state where you ultimately will desire to work.

Smaller Classes. Personalized instruction is essential for a manual trade such as welding. It’s possible to be lost in bigger classes and not obtain much individualized instruction. Ask what the average class size is for the welding programs you are looking at. Ask if you can attend some classes so that you can experience how much individual attention the students are receiving. While there, speak with several of the students and get their opinions. Also, speak with some of the teachers and ask what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they hold.

Convenient Class Schedules. Lots of folks learn a new trade while still working at their current job. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are convenient enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Reno NV, make certain that the schools you are considering provide those options. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you decide on offers part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the policy is to make up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family emergencies.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Reno NV?

Perhaps you live in the Reno Nevada area, or have decided to enroll in a Welding Program that has a campus near there.  In either case, you may find this bit of history both interesting and informative.

Reno, Nevada

Reno (/ˈriːnoʊ/ REE-noh) is a city in the U.S. state of Nevada, located in the western part of the state, approximately 22 miles (35 km) from Lake Tahoe. Known as "The Biggest Little City in the World",[2] Reno is famous for its hotels and casinos and as the birthplace of Harrah's Entertainment (now known as Caesars Entertainment Corporation). It is the county seat of Washoe County, in the northwestern part of the state. The city sits in a high desert at the foot of the Sierra Nevada and its downtown area (along with Sparks) occupies a valley informally known as the Truckee Meadows. It is named after slain Union general Jesse L. Reno.

Reno is the most populous city in the state outside the Las Vegas Valley, with an estimated population of 241,445 in 2015.[3] Reno is part of the Reno–Sparks metropolitan area, which consists of all of both Washoe and Storey counties and has a 2016 estimated population of 457,420.[4]

As early as the mid 1850s a few pioneers settled in the Truckee Meadows, a relatively fertile valley through which the Truckee River made its way from Lake Tahoe to Pyramid Lake. In addition to subsistence farming, these early residents could pick up business from travelers along the California Trail, which followed the Truckee westward, before branching off towards Donner Lake, where the formidable obstacle of the Sierra Nevada began.

Online Welding Courses

pipe welder at work in Reno NVWelding is very much a hands-on kind of trade, and for that reason not extremely suitable for online training. Having said that, there are some online welding classes offered by various community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Reno NV area that can be credited toward a degree or certificate program. These classes primarily cover such subjects as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help give a novice a foundation to initiate their education and training. Nevertheless, the most significant point is that you can’t learn how to weld or handle welding materials until you actually do it. Obviously that can’t be performed online. These skills have to be learned in an on-campus setting or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is better suited for seasoned welders that want to advance their knowledge or perhaps earn a more advanced degree. So if you should discover an online welding certificate or degree program, be extremely careful and confirm that the greater part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.

Find the Best Welding Technical School Reno NV

Selecting the ideal welding school will probably be the most important decision you will make to launch your new profession. As we have covered in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to examine and compare between the schools you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any welder school that you are examining includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and every student must have their own welding machine to train on. Classroom instruction should offer a real-world context, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Training programs differ in length and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Every training program offers different possibilities for certification also. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Take the time to monitor some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you pick is the right one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the end outcome will be a new career as a professional welder in Reno NV.

 

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